Tonight NCIS will air a special tribute episode to the late David McCallum. Internationally recognized for his portrayal of medical examiner, Donald "Ducky" Mallard, David was once the show's longest serving cast member.
Following his death in September, fans of NCIS have been wondering how the cast and crew of series 21 will honor the legendary actor. The possibility of a potential cameo from original cast members Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, and Pauley Perrette has also been called into question, with many hoping for an on-screen reunion at Ducky's funeral.
But, with the episode set to air, Brian Dietzen is finally addressing the rumors. In a new interview with TV Line, the actor – who plays Dr. Jimmy Palmer – was asked if NCIS will give viewers a sense of how OG characters like Gibbs (played by Mark Harmon) will take the news of Ducky's death?
"That's one of those things where every idea under the sun was thrown at us, from the network on down," explained Brian. "'Can we get every person that's ever been in the history of NCIS, and all of its sister shows, back together for one scene where everyone's sitting together?'
"Logistically, those things aren't really a possibility, unfortunately, so we tried to have shout-outs to these other field offices around the country, throughout the show, and also show tokens of admiration and honor that are coming from past team members — as well through flashback scenes, or even gifts that they're sending, tokens of love."
While it sounds like NCIS will make reference to the OG characters and their friendships with Ducky, it seems unlikely that they'll return to our screens. We can expect plenty of flashbacks from earlier seasons, however.
"Scott [executive producer] and I watched a ton, and a few of our writers, writer' assistants and specifically [producer] Justin [Kilmer] watched a lot, as well," said Brian. "We knew, 'OK, we want this sort of scene,' 'We want that sort of scene.'"
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The upcoming tribute episode – titled 'The Stories We Leave Behind' – promises to be an emotional one. Talking to TV Line, NCIS co-showrunners/executive producers Steven D. Binder and David North teased what's to come.
"In the episode, the team will learn of Ducky's passing and reflect on their memories of him as they grieve," said the duo. "And true to Ducky's meticulous and compassionate nature, even after he's gone, he still manages to solve one last crime with the team."
Like Brian, the pair refrained from giving specifics on any potential cameos from original cast members, although they stated that "There will also be a very touching and special moment you won't want to miss."